Technical guidelines for the national adaptation plan process

As part of the UNFCCC process, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) has issued these technical guidelines to Parties and relevant organizations in response to the mandate given to the LEG by the Conference of the Parties. The guidelines' purpose is to provide Parties, as well as organizations assisting them, with technical guidance on the development of NAPs, covering such areas as:

• Establishing a national process to coordinate adaptation planning at all relevant scales and with a medium- and long-term view in mind;
• Identifying capacity gaps, and building capacity for planning and implementing adaptation and for integrating adaptation into national development planning processes; and
• Preparing national adaptation plans that contain activities, policies and programmes for adapting to climate change.

The guidelines build on lessons learned from countries already developing national adaptation plans and strategies. They outline how relevant sectors and other management units can respond and report to national governments about their plans and programmes to address adaptation to climate change, including efforts to cooperate across sectors and within specific areas such as regions and cities. While the guidelines do not prescribe particular methodologies for different steps, they give examples of useful methods and tools that authorities can use to develop their adaptation options. The publication also explains how authorities can aggregate or scale these methods and tools into an adaptation plan at the national level.